couponing for birthday presents

I mentioned a couple posts ago about Daisy's birthday coming up.  I found a deal on Chutes and Ladders and couldn't pass it up since she has enjoyed Candyland so much.  I got the game at WalMart.  Regular price was $7.77 and I had a $3 coupon making it $4.77!

Dollar General Couponing Venture

I think I talked before about my rock bottom price spreadsheet where I keep track of the lowest price I have paid for an item.  If our family is in need of an item and I can't find a good coupon deal for it, usually I will buy it at WalMart, Aldi, or the Dollar Tree, depending on what the item is.  For diapers, my go to is WalMart brand Parent's Choice.  With their diapers at regular price I spend .14/diaper.  If I find a deal that beats out WalMart, I know I need to get it.  Now with this Luvs deal, it actually ended up being the same price as WalMart.  The reason being I had to get one box of size 3 and one box of size 4.  You will notice there are more diapers in the size 3 box than in the size 4 box.  I wanted to get two boxes of size 3 to get optimum savings, but they only had 1 box left. I have never coupon shopped at Dollar General before.  It was  good experience, for the most part.  Here is the deal:

1 box Luvs size 4 diapers and 1 box Luvs size 3 diapers - 14.75/box (store sale price down from 15.75)

I used an online coupon I printed from the Dollar General website that was spend $30 get $5 off.

I also bought a peppermint patty (more on that later) for .75.  My total before coupons was 32.25.  Total after coupons was 25.25.  

Why the peppermint patty, you ask?  The coupon I had was "spend $30 get $5 off".  The blog where I saw this deal did not mention a sale (sales are usually regional), so here is where my plan had a small hitch.  When the cashier rang up the two boxes with the sale price of 14.75 each and not 15.75 each, the subtotal came to 29.50.  I was .50 short of spending the $30 to get the $5 off.  I didn't plan for this before I got to the register, so when I saw the subtotal I quickly looked around the register for something that was .50.  Of course the cheapest thing I could find was .75.  On a sidenote, why in the world at DOLLAR general are the gums/candies MORE expensive than at, say, WalMart or even Walgreens?  Silly, that's what that is.  So anyway, that is why I bought a .75 peppermint patty.  I essentially spent .75 to save 5.00 so I really saved 4.25 if you want to look at it that way.  :)

I also had a near run in with the cashier.  I say "near" because thankfully it was avoided.  When she first tried to scan my coupon, the register wouldn't take it (because my subtotal was 29.50 and not 30. but neither of us realized it at first).  Here's how the conversation went:

Cashier : "Okay, it won't take the coupon."

Me: "Oh really?  How come?"

Cashier (a little defensive) "I don't know, it just won't take it and I can't accept it if it won't take it."

Me: "Oh I know you can't override it, but I wonder why it's not accepting it?"

Cashier (very defensive)"I don't know, it doesn't tell me!"

Me: "I'm not trying to cause a problem I just want to figure it out."

Cashier: (a little less defensive)  "Oh I know it's just that a lot of these have come through here and they haven't been working."

This is when it clicked in my brain that with the store sale it might be preventing the subtotal from reaching $30.  I asked her what the subtotal was and she told me.  I told her that must be why and that's when I grabbed the Peppermint patty.  Then the coupon worked!  The cashier seemed relieved.  

I've had my fair share of run ins with cashiers.  Some are good, some not so good.  And I get it.  I am sure they have a million people who try to use a coupon the wrong way and get all mad and mean to them when it doesn't work, but please don't assume that I'm going to jump on you as soon as your register won't scan my coupon.  I simply want to find out the reason so that I can get better at couponing.  So that next time I can avoid this hiccup all together.  Usually if you as the customer are calm and keep your tone pleasant no matter the conversation, you can keep things from escalating to a bad experience.

Walgreens - A Diamond in the Rough

I titled this post A Diamond in the Rough because I feel like that's what the deals there are now.  While Walgreens used to be a place I went every week for great deals, I usually only go now once every 2-3 weeks whenever I find a deal here and there.  I used to love Walgreens.  Back when getting deals was easier!  I get the feeling that not many share my opinion, but it is just that: an opinion.  I started couponing about 6-8 months before my area Walgreens started the Balance Rewards system.  Before that it was all Register Rewards.  I liked the RRs because the savings were instant.  With the Balance Rewards system you have to accumulate a certain number of points on your card (I think it's 5,000) before you can acquire $5 off an order.  They do still have occasional RR deals and sometimes some great Buy One Get One Free (BOGO) or Buy One Get One 50% Off (BOGO 50%) deals that are still worth it, especially since my Walgreens is just down the road.

Here's my latest trip:

6 boxes Kraft Mac n Cheese, .46/box, 2 packs Lever 2000 Bar Soap 2 ct, .25/box, 2 Almay makeup remover, 2.24 each, 2 packs Nice! Jelly Beans, .67/pack, 3 packs Peeps Candy, .67/pack.  Total before coupons: $36.13.  Total after coupons: $11.05.  69% savings!

I was especially excited about the Almay.  I actually missed a better deal a week or two ago just because life is extra crazy right now with trying to get ready to move.  However, this product is the only thing that I am brand specific about, and it lasts me forever.  The last time I got a deal on this I was able to get them for cents on the dollar.  I stocked up with several of them and I am still using that stash.  That was about 3 years ago, and it was the smaller ones so I'm hoping these two will last me almost that long as well.

Thanks to the last couple candy deals I've found I am pretty much done with the kids' Easter baskets.  I told JP the other day that I was done with candy for the baskets and he informed me that they have to have Peeps and Jelly Beans, both of which I hadn't gotten.  So now I can check that off my list.  Can't have the baskets missing those essentials, now can we?  :)

Pampers Deal!

My latest CVS trip was a little bit of a repeat.  You might remember I got this paper towel deal the last time I went.  I don't know if they stopped it and started it again or if they just continued it, but either way I had more coupons so decided to stock up on 'em!  Also, with Easter right around the corner I was happy to score some cheap candy.  

You will very rarely see me buy Pampers.  I usually say that Pampers are the Mercedes of diapers.  You pay an arm and a leg for them, and while most will probably tell you that "you get what you pay for" and they are absolutely the best, I have found in my experience that they really don't work any better than Luvs or even the WalMart Parent's Choice brand.  I have been blessed so far with little behinds that don't flare up and react to any particular diaper, so I have been able to avoid being brand specific when it comes to buying diapers.  That being said, I would definitely buy them if they proved to be the cheapest option.  However, even with couponing it's rare that the price will beat out another one out there.

I purchased the above items in 2 transactions.  Put together, the total before coupons came to $68.23.  The total I spent after coupons was $22.48.  A 67% savings!  The paper towels were $3.00/8 pk (.38/roll), The Starburst Jelly Beans were .99/pack, and the diapers were $4.83/pack!  Here's the breakdown:

Transaction #1:

2 packs Easy Ups and 1 pack baby dry = $30 (store sale 2 for $20, down from 13.39 for Easy Ups and 11.99 for Baby Dry)

Extra Bucks (EB) Deal: Buy $30 and get $10 EBs

I used 2 coupons for $2 off one pack Easy Ups and 

I used 1 coupon for $1.50 off one pack Baby Dry Diapers

$30 minus $5.50 equals out of pocket cost $24.50.

Now whenever you get EBs (especially such a high value EB) that print out with your receipt, you want to try and use them in this same shopping trip so that you get immediate savings and don't have to make sure you get back to the store before they expire to use them.  So since you can't just use it in the same transaction that generates it, you need to split of your items into multiple transactions.  In order to use mine, I paid for the diapers first, got my $10 EB, and then used it when I paid for my second transaction.

Transaction #2:

2 packs Starburst Jelly Beans - 2.49 each (on sale down from 2.99)

EB Deal: Buy 2 Get 2 EBs

I used 2 $1 off 1 pack Starburst

My out of pocket cost was 3.98 with $2 EB.  Final cost 1.98 for 2 packs.

2 packs 8 ct Sparkle paper towels (on sale 2 for $10 down from 8.99)

EB Deal: Buy 2 packs get $2 EB

I used 2 coupons that were $1 off one pack Sparkle paper towels

My out of pocket came to $8 with $2 EBs making final cost $6 or $3/pack.

My subtotal for the second transaction was 11.98, I used my $10 EB from my previous transaction making my subtotal then 1.98 with $4 EBs.

I hope that this makes sense.  When you are just starting to delve into the world of couponing, it can be very difficult because it does take time to pick up on the rules and different stores' policies.  I usually tell people who are starting out to please commit to giving it a try for at least a solid 3 months.  It takes some time, determination, and even a few failed trips here and there to really get the hang of it.  But, once you do you will be SO glad you did!  

Some "Cheesy" Deals

One of the really cool things about couponing is that I get to try out some different stuff that I otherwise wouldn't buy.  This could also be a downfall if you aren't careful.  If you don't approach couponing correctly, you could find yourself actually spending more money than if you didn't use your coupon.  Here's today's scoop:

Wal*Mart: 5 boxes Velveeta Cheesy Skillets, .98/box, 2 boxes Jimmy Dean Pancakes and Sausage Links Breakfast Bowls, .50/box.  Total before coupons: $13.90.  Total after coupons: $5.90.  That's a savings of 58%.  Not bad!  

One thing I don't like about Wal*Mart's receipts is that they don't show you your store savings.  Meaning, it shows that the skillets were $1.98, which was actually the store sale price and not the regular retail price.  For example, Dillons will show on their receipt the regular retail price AND the sale price.  I feel like with Wal*Mart unless I happen to know the regular retail price of an item then I don't really know what my savings truly are.  I can guesstimate, but that's usually not good enough for someone like me who likes my spreadsheet to be complete and correct!  Hah!  Wow, I just sounded very nerdy there.  I should quit while I'm ahead.  Happy Thursday!

a small success is still a success

Another week at Dillons.  I ended up getting less in this trip than I intended, but what I did get was still really good!  Total before coupons: $25.19.  Total after coupons: $6.44.  I just decided that I would try to give up soda for 2 weeks so this is my last hoorah!  (I couldn't let a coupon for a free bottle of Pepsi go to waste, could I?)  The answer is no, no you cannot.  :)  

When you print internet coupons from various sites like coupons.com or smartsource.com, etc, you are only allowed to print 2 coupons per computer.  If you remember my last Dillons trip I also had 2 boxes of Red Velvet cake mix.  After that trip, the .50 coupon reset!  Meaning you were allowed to print up to 2 more coupons!  Dillons was still running their deal of $1.25/box so with doubling my .50 coupon this got me 2 more boxes of cake mix for .25/box!  The Nesquick powder was free - actually it made me money - +.06.  The deodorant was .99/stick, and the wipes were .99/pack.  Not too shabby!

{steam}fresh and clean!

Great trip to Target today as they had the remainder of their Valentine's Day stuff up to 90% off!  I was able to get some things for the kids for next year and also picked up a couple candies to put in their Easter baskets!  I wish I had gone a little earlier as they were pretty much cleaned out, but I was still able to find a couple of treasures.  I also scored a sweet deal on this body wash and frozen veggies.  Total before coupons: $11.51.  Total after coupons: $2.07.  An 82% savings!  Yee-haw!

a sparkling good deal

This deal came just in time for me as we are using our last roll of paper towels right now.  Total before coupons was $17.98.  Total after coupons and ECBs: $6.00.  A savings of 67%!  This is the first I've shopped for paper towels since starting my spreadsheet of rock bottom prices so we'll see if this ends up being as good of a deal as it seems to be.  Came out to .38/roll.

dillons doesn't disappoint

I was pretty successful at Dillons last week!  Since discovering the store not so long ago, I usually try to make a trip there once a week. This was actually not as big as my past few trips I've taken, but still productive.  The total before coupons was $44.29.  I paid $12.86.  A 71% savings which is the biggest savings I've gotten so far at Dillons.  On a side note, that Zatarains rice is really good!  We have never had that rice before, but since I got those boxes completely free I decided it's worth trying and we were not disappointed!  I think I might be in love with this store.  :)

can't win 'em all

I went to the Dollar Tree the other night to score some deals.  Out of everything on my list I came out with 2 boxes of Hefty Slider sandwich bags.  I paid .67 for both boxes, and that included tax!  However, sometimes couponing can be disappointing.  There are a lot of variables; a lot of things that *could* happen, and although you can prepare for various scenarios, you can't ever predict them.  

1. The store might be out of the item you want.  You can usually get rainchecks for these, but  with having 3 kids with me I don't have the patience or the time to go to customer service for that. 

2. The store's price for your item might be different/higher than the price you found on the coupon blog.  Prices in stores vary by region so if you are following a blog that is located in a different region of the country than you are, you can't always guarantee the prices they find will be the same at your store.  I usually try to do my homework via store mailers, fliers, paper inserts or online sites before going to the store to make sure the price is what I expect.  

3. You may not have the right coupon with you.  If you don't do your coupon shopping with small kids in tow,  you are less likely to have this happen.  :)  With the diaper bag, car seat (little guy is 7 months so we still cart him around in the seat), and now that it's winter, coats and hats, there just isn't room in the cart, let alone in my hands/arms when trekking from car to store, store to car, for my big coupon binder that holds all of my coupons.  So if I happen to be walking by something in the store that I see is on sale that I didn't know about, knowing I have a coupon for it back home in my binder doesn't help me.  

Coupon shopping with kids is definitely a challenge, and something I wouldn't recommend if you can help it.  I stay at home with my kids so I have made it work and have just had to missing out on a deal here and there.  I still get great deals for things that we need and use on a regular basis so to me it is completely worth it!

tp anyone?

I usually have a bottom price that I will pay for things.  I finally got smart and started a running spreadsheet of items I consistently buy and the lowest price I have paid for them.  This makes things so much easier when I am perusing blogs and finding deals to know if what I am finding really is a good deal, a great deal, or a not so great deal.  I also usually have a go-to item in the case that we run out of something before I am able to find a good coupon deal for it.  For instance, if we run out of toilet paper, I go to WalMart and pick up their pack of 12 rolls for $4.96.  This comes to .41/roll, so that is usually what I compare to when finding coupon deals on toilet paper.  If I can get it cheaper at WalMart, I pass up the coupon deal.  The other day I hit the couponing jackpot when I found a deal for this Angel Soft at Staples (who knew they sell toilet paper? guess I just never noticed) - .24/roll! That's a stock up price!  Meaning, I bought as many as I possibly could at that price so that hopefully we won't have to buy anymore until another great deal comes along.  I don't go crazy with couponing.  I don't go out and buy 20 papers every week.  I don't dumpster dive (yes, people really do that).  I usually just buy 3 papers a week (at the Dollar Tree for $1!), and sometimes family/friends will give me their coupon inserts.  So you won't see me buying hundreds of one item, but I did buy 4 packs of 24 rolls of toilet paper!  I'm still waiting for the cleaning/organizing fairy to do her job and find a place to store them.  Right now they are stacked up on our bench at the top of the stairs.  But hey, we won't be running out anytime soon!  :)

feed me!

Someone is cutting teeth around here!  And rolling, and sitting with help, and exploring a sippy cup, and now eating food!  When did this happen?  

I've started to get back into couponing and I love it.  Since I stay home with our three little loves, this is a way that I can help our little family financially by saving money.  

Did you know that this baby cereal stays good for a year?  I was given a box of the rice about a year ago, and even though I was only about 3ish months pregnant, I hung onto it knowing Tommy would be ready to eat it just a month before it expires.  These 3 boxes I got at WalMart with my coupons.  They were $1.50, so $4.50 for all three.  After coupons I paid $1.75.  That's a 61% savings!  Now little man is happy, and momma is too!